Alex Sandro Poltronieri

First record of Duponchelia fovealis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in South America

espanolEl primer reporte de Duponchelia fovealis Zeller (Lepidoptera:Crambidae) fue por danos a la fresa (Fragaria x ananassa) en America del Sur en el Estado del Parana, Brasil. Se encontraron tres enemigos naturales para controlar D. fovealis identificados como Apanteles sp. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Hyaliodocoris insignis (Heteroptera: Miridae) y el hongo entomopatogenico Beauveria bassiana. EnglishThe European pepper moth Duponcheliafovealis Zeller (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is reported for the first time in South America, in the State of Parana, Brazil. D.fovealis causes damage to strawberries and weakens the plants. Three natural enemies controlling D.fovealis were found and identified as Apanteles sp. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Hyaliodocoris insignis (Heteroptera: Miridae) and the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana.

Influência de sistemas de produção sobre a ocorrência de inimigos naturais de afídeos em pomares de pessegueiros em Araucária-PR

The pressure of the society has forced the adoption of more sustainable fruit production systems and with less environmental impact. The objective of this work was to verify the influence of production systems of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Conventional Production (CP), about the diversity of natural enemies of aphids present on six orchards of peach trees in the city of Araucaria, PR, from July 2005 to September 2006. The evaluation of the number of natural enemies of aphids species was made by means of five sampling methods: visual in plants of peach trees; visual in invading plants; yellow water traps of Moericke type; funnel and adhesive traps. In the system GPA, more specimens of natural enemies had been collected (53%) in relation to orchards CP (46%), having the occurrence, in both orchards, of predators of the Syrphidae, Coccinellidae and Chrysopidae family and parasitoids of Hymenoptera order. Concerning the total of collected natural enemies, it was verified the greatest occurrence of aphid predators.

Population fluctuation and faunal indices of aphids (Hemiptera, Aphididae) in peach orchards in Araucária, PR

Aphids are sap-sucking insects that mainly attack shoots and young leaves of peach trees and many other plant species; however, knowledge of the Brazilian aphid fauna is scant. The objective of this study was to identify aphid species collected in peach orchards (Prunus persica Batsch) and to determine their faunal indices for occurrence and dominance. The experiment was conducted from July 2005 to September 2006 in six Chimarrita peach orchards in the municipality of Araucária, PR, Brazil. The survey of aphid species was conducted by visual samplings on peach trees and using Möericke-type yellow traps containing water. A faunal analysis was made using aphid occurrence and dominance indices. Brachycaudus persicae (Passerini, 1860) was the only aphid species that was found colonizing peach in Araucária/PR. Although most aphids collected were classified as rare, some can be considered potential peach colonizers, such as Myzus persicae (Sulzer, 1776) which was given the status of common or intermediate in some of the orchards studied. The population fluctuation of aphids showed a negative correlation with rainfall and positive correlation with temperature and relative humidity.

Flutuação populacional e danos de Grapholita molesta (Lepidoptera: tortricidae) em dois sistemas de produção de pessegueiros

With the objective to know the population fluctuation of Grapholita molesta and to verify the phenological stage that the peach tree is more sensitive to the attack of the insect in two production systems, four peach orchards were selected, two under the conventional production system (CP) and two under the good agricultural practice system (GAP), in 2005/06 and 2006/07 growing seasons, in Araucaria, PR, Brazil. To verify the fluctuation, two Delta model traps were installed per orchard, baited with synthetic sexual pheromone, where the capture of G. molesta adults was recorded weekly. To determine the most sensitive phase of the peach tree to G. molesta attack, the bud and fruits were evaluated on the primary branch turned to the West on twenty plants per orchard, in the thinning, stone hardening and maturing phases. The G. molesta population in the 2005/2006 growing season was greater than in 2006/07, and the GAP orchards presented greater occurrences than the CP. The biggest populations of the insect occurred postharvest. The maturation phase was the most susceptible in both production systems, but there was a lower percentage of damage to the GAP orchards.

Records of Arorathrips mexicanus (Crawford, 1909) and Arorathrips fulvus (Moulton, 1936) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in the municipality of Araucária, Paraná, Brazil

The aim of this study was to record the occurrence of the species Arorathrips mexicanus (Crawford, 1909) and Arorathrips fulvus (Moulton, 1936) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in the municipality of Araucária, Paraná, Brazil. Thrips were captured in Möericke traps installed originally for the collection of aphids in two commercial orchards with one being peach (cultivar Chimarrita) and the other nectarine (cultivar Bruna), in Araucária, Paraná (25° 35’ 35’’ S and 49° 24’ 37’’ W, altitude: 897 m). The samplings in the peach orchard were conducted from July to December of 2005, and in the nectarine orchard from September to December of 2007. A total of 24 Möericke traps were installed randomly in each orchard. The traps were installed between rows and placed on 0.9 m high wooden supports. Weekly, the contents of each trap were transferred to a fine-mesh sieve, and with the help of forceps, the thrips were transferred to plastic containers, previously labeled, containing 70% ethyl alcohol. In each sampling, the traps were washed and the solution renewed. In the laboratory, the thrips were separated by morphospecies under a stereomicroscope and later mounted on permanent slides, according to the method of Palmer et al. (1989). Identification was performed with the aid of identification keys proposed by Mound and Palmer (1972) and Moritz et al., 2004. Four specimens of A. mexicanus were collected in peach orchards in August 2005 and two of A. fulvus in nectarine orchards in September 2007. The principal differences between A. mexicanus and A. fulvus are the number of setae on the vertex of the head and the occurrence of the extension of the apex of the tibia (Mound and Marulo, 1996). A. mexicanus is characterized by having an extended apex of the tibia and 3 to 4 pairs of setae on the vertex of the head. This species has been encountered in cultivated pastures of subtropical areas of the world. A. fulvus possesses 15 to 20 setae on the vertex of the head and does not show a protrusion of the apex of the tibia along the outer edge of the fore tarsi (Mound and Marulo, 1996). The genus Arorathrips comprises 13 New World species (Mound and Marulo, 1996). In Brazil, the species of this genus are not cited as pests of stone fruit trees, but have been reported to cause damage to monocotyledons (Monteiro, 2002). Almeida et al. (1994) collected two Arorathrips (= Chirothrips) mexicanus in Ambrosia polystachya DC in Arapoti, Paraná. In orchards in Araucária, where the samplings were made, the presence of some species of grasses (Poaceae) was verified, such as Avena strigosa Schreb, Brachiaria mutica (Forsk.) Stapf and Brachiaria plantaginea (Link) Hitchc. Therefore, new studies are needed utilizing more specific collection methods, to determine the species of plants that serve as hosts to thrips of the genus Arorathrips. A. mexicanus are spread by grasses in tropical regions and on various Caribbean islands, as well as in Panama, Costa Rica and Brazil (São Paulo). A. fulvus has been reported in Hawaii, Texas and Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo) (Mound and Marulo, 1996). This work represents the first record of A. mexicanus and A. fulvus in the municipality of Araucária, Paraná, Brazil, and associates these insects with the vegetation in these orchards of stone fruit trees. These findings help amplify our knowledge of the entomofauna of thrips, as well as of the geographic distribution of the Arorathrips species in Brazil.

Susceptibility of Duponchelia fovealis Zeller (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) to Soil-Borne Entomopathogenic Fungi

Duponchelia fovealis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is an invasive species that has had a large impact on strawberry crops in Brazil. Pesticides have had limited effectiveness and the use of biological control agents to improve its management is the most appropriate approach. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pathogenicity and virulence of entomopathogenic fungi—isolated from soil—against Duponchelia fovealis larvae under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. Pathogenicity screenings were performed for twenty isolates from Beauveria bassiana, Beauveria caledonica, Isaria javanica, Metarhizium anisopliae, and Lecanicillium sp. against third instar larvae of D. fovealis at the concentration of 109 conidia·mL−1. Lethal concentration (LC50) and lethal time (LT50) were determined for the most pathogenic isolates and for one commercial mycoinsecticide. Mortality rates varied from 10 to 89%. The isolates B. bassiana Bea1, Bea110, Bea111 and I. javanica Isa340 were the most pathogenic. The most virulent isolates were B. bassiana Bea111 and I. javanica Isa340 with LC50 values of 2.33 × 106 and 9.69 × 105 conidia·mL−1, respectively. Under greenhouse conditions, the efficacy of LC50 of the isolates I. javanica Isa340 and B. bassiana Bea111 were 45% and 52%, respectively. Our results indicate that these isolates are strong candidates for application in the control of D. fovealis. This study is the first evaluation of soil-borne entomopathogenic fungi against D. fovealis.

Entomopathogenic potential of fungi isolated from intertidal environments against the cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassicae (Hemiptera: aphididae)

ABSTRACT The use of biopesticides formulated from entomopathogenic fungi is a strategy utilised in integrated pest management programmes. The microorganisms used in these biopesticides are isolated from terrestrial organisms and ecosystems. However, bioprospecting in marine environments may lead to the discovery of promising fungi for pest control. In this study, marine fungi were identified and evaluated for the control of Brevicoryne brassicae. The effects of the most virulent isolate so identified on the mortality of aphids were compared to the effects of bioinsecticides that were formulated from fungal strains of Beauveria bassiana (Bovemax®) and Metarhizium anisopliae (Methamax®). Moreover, lethal and sublethal effects of this isolate on B. brassicae biological parameters were also examined. The isolates were identified as Aspergillus versicolor, Aspergillus sydowii (isolates 1 and 2), Penicillium dipodomyicola, and Trichoderma harzianum. The fungal strain A. versicolor was the most virulent fungal species, causing 85.9% mortality in B. brassicae at 24 h. The mortality rate caused by A. versicolor was similar to that caused by Bovemax® and Methamax® at concentrations of 105 conidia mL−1, and superior to that caused by Methamax® at a concentration of 109 conidia mL−1. The exposure of B. brassicae to CL25 (0.32 × 103) of A. versicolor did not affect the net reproductive rate (Ro), average generation time (T), intrinsic rate of population growth (rm), and finite rate of population increase (λ). This is the first study to demonstrate that A. versicolor isolated from a marine environment is a promising candidate for the biological control of agricultural pests.